Who Gives A Fish Forums

I recently brought home my first betta and I've been doing some research and observing her behavior. The ovipositor appears to be visible, which got me wondering - if I don't breed her soon, will it cause her discomfort? Can betta females become eggbound like some other animals? Will this "heat cycle" eventually pass? My experience is mostly with mammals and a few birds, so I'm still learning about fish reproductive habits.

I've tried taking a picture of the ovipositor to get confirmation, but so far no luck - I'm pretty sure that's what it is, though, given the location and color.

I'm really struggling to get a clear pic of it, but I can try again. Would really appreciate it if someone could confirm it's an ovipositor.

Seeing an ovipositor on a female betta is completely normal - it's usually called the "egg spot". I've got a pic of my girl that shows it clearly, it's the small white protrusion just behind her pelvic fins. That's the egg spot or ovipositor, and it's typical for females to have it, though some males might have a similar thing too, but that's not usually the case.